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This messageboad
is closed - but now The Games are over, tell us whether you
thought they were a success in our Vox
Pop.
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I
agree that South Africa should bid to host a future Commonwealth Games
and even maybe Northern Ireland or Wales. Wales has got the Millennium
Stadium all ready and waiting. I would also mention that a country
outside the listed "Big Four" hosted the Biggest and Best C.Games
ever held and that was Malaysia in 1998.
Roy McFadden
Adelaide, Australia |
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The
reason I love the Commonwealth Games (apart from Australia traditionally
doing well) is that it gives lesser known countries a chance to shine.
Didn't someone from Lesotho win the previous Men's marathon?.... Nauru
is now considered a power nation in weightlifing. Athletes from diverse
countries have won gold like St Vincent, Cyprus, Bahamas, Fiji. That
is what the games spirit emobodies.
Jim Mitsiou
Melbourne |
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Only a select
few of Commonwealth countries (Australia, Canada, UK, New Zealand)
can afford to put on the event.
Unlike the Olympics
where staging the event could come round only once every 100 years.
The above countries will see the Commonwealth Games 2 or 3 times
in the same period. Canada is preparing a bid for the 2010 Games,
but I think South Africa should make a bid.
The Commonwealth
Games will never be as big as the Olympics, but who cares. I am
proud England can compete in this event that is excusive to Commonwealth
Countries. I get excited about it because you dont have America
& Russia winning nearly everything as usual. OK theres OZ but there
only guaranteed to come on top in the pool, the other events are
anybodys.
I have been
waiting for this since 1995 when it was announced that Manchester
would host. I think Manchester will be excellent hosts.
Peter Woodall
Salford
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The
question Jim Mitsiou of Melbourne posed [below] is an interesting
one. Melbourne will be staging the 2006 Commonwealth Games. All the
other bidders dropped out. Why?
Alison Moss
Sydney, Australia |
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I
feel that with all the sincerity in my heart that the commonwealth
games are a fabulous thing. They bring people from all areas of the
commonwealth together in unity no matter gender, ethniticity or religous
beliefs. The games known as the "friendly games" are one of a small
group of fibres uniting the countries belonging to the commonwealth
in this the year of the Queens golden jubilee .
Larissa Cat (8)
Auckland |
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I
think that the Commonwealth will have a big impact on Manchester because
many people from other countries will be visiting Manchester to watch.
This will give us the chance to meet new people. I myself think this
event is a huge thing and me and many of my friends are looking forward
to it!
Nina Jones
Bolton, Manchester |
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Does
The Commonwealth Games matter to the other countries in the Commonwealth
as much as it does to Australians? Our athletes alway seem to make
it their No.1 priority, however other nations main athletes in my
opinion don't seem to share the same enthusiasm.
Jim Mitsiou
Melbourne |
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I
think the Games are going to be excellent. Manchester has done a superb
job so far and the city will benefit hugely in terms of tourism and
changing peoples way of thinking about Manchester. A lot of people
have seen how the city centre has transformed into a place that has
amazing architecture, excellent nightlife and a great place to shop
because of the bomb but also because of these Games. I also think
its brilliant for the country, the world will see that we can put
on a successful sporting masterpiece. I think the whole country should
support it because if its successful it will dictate Britain's staging
of future sporting events.
PW
Salford |
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I
think the games will leave a lasting legacy, inevitably, however the
social costs to us will have far more effect. As a student, I am very
happy many jobs will be created by the games, which will help the
local and national economy. The 2002 Manchester games could only be
a success!
Angus Walsh
Manchester |
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I
think the Games will be good for Manchester, especially if the nation
gets involved the way Aussies did with the Olympics. After the Wembley
and Picketts Lock fiasco I think its time to show the world the UK
is not a joke and can deliver successfully the biggest and best Commonwealth
Games ever. I still think Manchester has a long way to go yet to present
a clean image to the world, there are still areas of the city that
are disgusting and the canal also needs a good clean up, but im sure
Manchester will make a good effort. I also agree Jemima Hall, that
the Stadium will be a waste if the track is ripped up for a football
pitch, why cant they keep both and keep the stadium for national athletics,
it may make things easier for the idiots who are redesigning Wembley.
Peter Woodall
Salford |
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While
there may be a defecit in terms of the games making a loss, they will
bring in far more, in terms of new businesses, tourism, and better
opportunities for investment!
Paul Woodcock
Handforth, Cheshire |
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I
live and pay tax in Manchester and where next years games are proving
to be increasingly unpopular with prople in the city. The City Council
always assured us that the Games would generate income and improve
the city. Instead council tax payers like myself are going to have
to pick up the tab for the estimated 拢60 million short fall faced
by the City (that pledged 拢13.5 million in Feb. 2000 and a further
拢45 million in July 2001). Far from improving services for people
who live in the city the Games have resulted in the closure of many
sporting venues in the area. This includes a swimming pool that is
the only one in the area accessible to diasabled and elderly people
- which was deemed to cost too much for the City Council at 拢70,000
a year. As a Mancunian I despair, these games will leave a financial
legacy that my grand children will still be paying for!
Barbera Shipley
Manchester |
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I
am a 16 year old girl from Bolton and I compete in athletics for my
local club-Bolton United Harriers. The facilities that we have to
use at our club are appalling because of vandalism and mainly because
of the lack of funding. Once I heard that Manchester had got the 2002
Commonwealth games, I was delighted because it meant that there would
be a National stadium for athletics and it was in Manchester! So possibly
one day I would be able to compete there! But once again, I now have
to believe that once the commonwealth games are over, that's it, they
are going to be tearing up the track, and giving the stadium to yet
again, a sport which involves kicking a ball around a field-Football.
If anyone knows anything about Athletics and compare it too football,
England/Great Britain is more successful at athletics than football.
I would like to know why we have to give funding an any money we have
to build yet again another football club, which we have hundreds in
the country, and now count all the national stadiums for athletics?
My opinion is and many people will agree with me, weather they are
involved in athletics or not that the Commonwealth games stadium should
be kept for Athletics only, what a waste of money, our money, when
it is going to be given to football. What a shame again for a sport
that is developing at a great rate in the country and the country
has no national stadiums-or stadium. We want to develop our athletes,
but we cant with the lack of facilities. It is a great shame to the
country and a shame to the athletes themselves as they are missing
out AGAIN. Jemima Hall (16)
Bolton |
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We
feel that there is every possibility that the Comonwealth games will
be a success in Manchester, providing the city with many opportunities
and advantages. However, our concerns are that the opportunities could
easily be reversed if the stadium is not completed on time, if volunteers
are not easily recruited - lets face it, these days few people can
actually afford to work for no income or benefits! And if the transport
strategy fails - what transport strategy? To repeat other peoples
cynicism - what happens in a few years when we all have to foot the
bill?
Sarah Mort and Rachel Knutton
Manchester |
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I
think that Manchester is a city the has rapidly grown due to the sporting
facilities for example the M.E.N arena which is the biggest in europe
and I believe that Manchester will be a success with the commonwealth
games. It will also put Manchester right on the map because of the
global audience we'll get.
Paul Brown
Manchester |
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As
a Mancunian I think the Commonwealth Games will do a lot for Manchester
as well as the rest of the North West. However, I do feel a more intensive
marketing and promotion of the Games are needed. I hope to be in Manchester
next year and attend a couple of events. The Manchester Games will
be a success.
Betty Weir
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
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I
think that overall, the events will be a massive boost to Manchester
and especially with the new 40,000 or there abouts all seater stadium
which is a superb design but the only let down is that a second division
football club may then be moving into it 1 year later.
Lee Heywood
Manchester |
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